The Ancient Ones Still Slumber

Highlights from This Past Weekend at Arkham Nights 2012

They worshipped, so they said, the Great Old Ones who lived ages before there were any men, and who came to the young world out of the sky. These Old Ones were gone now, inside the earth and under the sea; but their dead bodies had told their secrets in dreams to the first men, who formed a cult which had never died. [...] Some day he would call, when the stars were ready, and the secret cult would always be waiting to liberate him. –H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

This past weekend saw our best attended Arkham Nights yet, with thrill-seeking souls hailing from across the country. With one hundred and fourteen pre-registered attendees and dozens more people registering at the door, the Event Center was packed with those looking for access to the darker corners of the universe. From terrifying tournaments to chilling creator Q&As, every sector of eldritch experience was well-represented. Thank you to each and every one of you who joined us in celebrating the weird world of H.P. Lovecraft’s fiction.

Many Answered the Call...

The weekend featured two tournaments for Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game. Our Initiation Tournament was designed to entice newcomers to the mythos, and summoned the most participants for a Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game tournament that our Event Center has ever seen! Finalist Brett Christiansen had never experienced Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game before that fateful night. He fought hard, but was eventually bested by our Initiation Tournament Winner, Vince Urbonas.

While it’s always good to indoctrinate new blood, those who have steeped themselves in the mysteries of the arcane must also be served. To this end, Arkham Nights also hosted a tournament for the more experienced Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game players. These masters of the art met in an epic struggle, and only one, Mark MacLennan, emerged with his soul and sanity intact.

Brand new scenarios unique to Arkham Nights 2012 were rolled out for the Arkham Horror Weekend League. Teams of players had to survive the three terrifying scenarios, and the team with the highest score would be crowned the winners. This year, Team Shadows of a Dream managed to emerge victorious with a score of 71!

Team Shadows of a Dream, winners of the Arkham Horror Weekend League. Pictured from left to right: Justin Taylor, Tony Chriscoe, and Ken Gallivan.

Meeting the Makers and More

Fans of the macabre were also able to meet some of the makers of FFG’s Lovecraft-themed titles. Those seeking forbidden knowledge attended Q&A sessions and deck-building tutorials, and a lucky few were able to play alongside or against the designers of their favorite ghastly games. Richard Launius, Kevin Wilson, Corey Konieczka, and Tim Uren were all on hand to put players through the paces.

In left photo: Richard Launius (left) and Kevin Wilson (right) at Q&A, In right photo: Corey Konieczka plays the newly announced Mansions of Madness: Call of the Wild expansion with attendees.

Arkham Nights 2012 featured a number of stations outfitted with iPads where those especially intrepid investigators could try their hand at setting out on The Trail of Ithaqua, the newly released expansion for Elder Sign: Omens. These portals into the wilds of Alaska were never left unguarded, as attendees strove diligently to complete the new two-stage campaign.

Even with the tireless efforts of countless attendees, some of the darkness slipped through to join the throngs at Arkham Nights 2012. Among the creatures of the night that attended, two of the creatures stood above the rest.

The winner of the costume contest was Tony Palmer dressed as a nefarious Night Gaunt, and the Fan Favorite was Gregory Malbraaten as a particularly horrifying Hastur.

Tony Palmer (left), winner of the costume contest as a Night Gaunt, and Gregory Malbraaten (right), Fan Favorite, as Hastur.

After the efforts of this weekend, the gates to the dim, dark reaches of other realities have been sealed...but for how long? Those who encountered the darkness at Arkham Nights 2012 have come away forever changed by the things they bore witness to, and we hope to see them return next year, when the Ancient Ones must be driven back to the darkness once again at Arkham Nights!